These little call box stands are still found all around San Francisco, painted as brightly today as they probably were when they first rolled out (100 years ago?). They're about 5 ft high, with Police on one side (blue) and Fire on the other (red).

Wonder how long they'll last in the age of cell... fortunately I've never seen anyone use one.

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Comments

fonman805, 7 years agoThe Police side would typically be used by police department personnel, as they required a key to open the door/cover. I'm not sure if they were usually connected to a regular line with the ability to dial anywhere, or were simply manual phones with private line/ringdown circuits to a dispatcher or switchboard.

I've never seen the inside of the Fire version, so am not sure if they also contained a phone for fire fighters to use, or if their only function was for the public to report fires using the external 'hook'.